.August  18,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
127 
-  Death  of  Me,  Pulham,  sen.  —  It  is  with  deep  regret  we 
have  to  record  the  d?ath  of  Mr.  Pulham,  head  of  the  firm  of  Pulham  and 
Son,  on  Thursday  last,  llth  inst.,  after  a  week’s  illness.  The  funeral 
took  place  in  Broxbourne  churchyard  on  the  15th.  We  are  informed 
that  the  business  will  be  carried  on  as  usual,  and  in  the  same  name.  The 
deceased  was  seventy-eight  years  of  age. 
-  Shirley  Gardeners’  Association. — The  monthly  meeting  of 
the  above  Society  was  held  at  the  Parish  Room,  Shirley,  Southampton, 
on  Monday,  15th  inst.,  Mr.  W.  F.  Mayoss  presiding  ;  but  owing  to  the 
hot  weather  there  was  not  a  numerous  attendance.  A  most  interesting 
and  instructive  lecture  was  given  by  J.  H.  Aldridge,  Esq.,  M.D.,  J.P.,  on 
“  Farm  and  Garden  Insects  :  Their  Relation  to  Flowers  and  Crops,” 
which  was  illustrated  by  a  number  of  lantern  slides. 
- Caterham  Gardeners’ Outing. — On  Wednesday,  August  3rd, 
Caterharn  gardeners,  to  the  number  of  forty-seven,  paid  a  visit  to  Boxhill 
and  Burford  Lodge,  Dorking,  where  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence  escorted  them 
over  his  beautiful  grounds,  and  through  his  glass  houses,  in  which  are 
accommodated  one  of  the  finest  collections  of  Orchids  in  existence,  with 
many  other  rare  and  beautiful  plants.  Not  many  of  the  Orchids  were  in 
flower,  but  they  were  still  interesting  to  those  who  know  the  value  of 
many  of  the  rarer  forms  of  which  Mr.  White  has  charge.  After  the  party 
had  partaken  of  refreshment,  Mr.  Jeremiah  Lyon  addressed  the  company, 
and  offered  the  best  thanks  of  the  Caterham  Horticultural  Society  to  Sir 
Trevor  and  Lady  Lawrence  for  their  kind  reception.  In  his  reply,  Sir 
Trevor  said  that  to  him  it  was  a  genuine  pleasure  to  see  there  anyone 
interested  in  gardens  and  gardening,  and  he  was  glad  'to  be  able  to 
welcome  them  there.  Mr.  Jeremiah  Lyon  generously  paid  all  the 
travelling  expenses  of  the  outing,  which  was  both  an  enjoyable  and  a 
profitable  one  to  those  taking  part  in  it. 
-  The  Outlook  for  Canadian  Fruit. — It  would  seem  from 
the  reports  published  in  the  daily  press  recently  that  the  prospects  for  a 
big  crop  of  autumn  fruits  are  not  very  bright.  The  Peach  crop  is  being 
injured  by  a  new  pest  ;  the  Apple  crop  will  not  be  much  larger  than 
last  year,  ana  the  supply  of  fruits  generally  will  fall  short  of  other 
years.  In  some  cases  it  may  be  possible  to  foretell  so  far  ahead 
what  the  output  will  be,  but  we  fancy  that  in  some  instances  the  crop 
may  be  larger  than  is  now  hoped  for.  There  has  been  an  impression 
abroad  for  pome  years  that  the  reports  published  at  this  season  of  the 
year,  which  are  never  over-sanguine,  in  regard  to  fruit,  are  for  the 
purpose  of  influencing  the  market.  We  can  recall  seasons  in  the  past 
when  very  discouraging  reports  would  come  in  the  early  summer  regarding 
the  Peach  crop,  but  when  the  Peach  harvest  arrived  there  would  be 
baskets  of  that  fruit  galore  at  prices  suited  to  the  purse  of  the  poorest. 
This  has  occurred  so  frequently  that  the  public  is  somewhat  at  a  loss 
whether  to  believe  everything  one  hears  at  this  season  of  the  year  in 
regard  to  these  poor  prospects.  However,  it  may  be  that  this  season  is 
an  exception,  and  instead  of  abundant  crops  of  Apples  and  Peaches, 
which  are  due  this  year,  the  supply  may  be  very  much  limited.  Last 
year  the  Apple  crop  was  a  poor  one,  and  if  this  year  we  have  an 
additional  poor  crop,  the  possessor  of  a  large  orchard  with  trees  loaded 
with  the  luscious  fruit  will  be  fortunate. — {“  Farming,”  Toronto .) 
-  The  Oak  as  an  Ornamental  Tree. — The  great  popularity 
of  the  Oak  for  ornamental  purposes  during  the  past  three  years  is  one  of 
the  marvels  in  American  gardening.  Fifty  years  ago,  the  one  who 
should  recommend  the  Oak  was  recorded  as  a  dreamer — at  least,  so  says 
Mr.  Meehan.  It  is  said  they  grow  too  slowly,  and  it  is  contended  that  it 
is  impossible  to  transplant  an  Oak  successfully'.  But  it  is  now  found 
that  they  transplant  as  readily  as  any  other  trae,  and,  indeed,  are  much 
more  successful  than  some  trees  that  w'ere  formerly  so  popular  ;  and  as 
for  growing  slowly,  some  of  them  progress  remarkably  in  this  respect. 
L'nder  favourable  circumstances,  a  large  number  of  species  of  Oak  will  be 
30  or  40  feet  in  height  in  twenty-five  years.  There  are  very  few  trees, 
aside  from  Poplars  and  Soft  Maples,  that  can  do  better  than  this  They 
have  many  advantages  which  some  trees,  formerly  more  popular,  do  not 
possees.  There  is  a  variety  in  the  growth  of  the  trees  and  the  forms  of 
the  foliage.  The  splendid  colour  of  most  of  them  in  the  autumn  of  the 
year  gives  them  a  special  charm.  Some  have  bright  golden  leaves  in  the 
autumn,  and  various  species  of  the  Chestnut  Oak  division  are  of  this 
character.  Of  the  bright-coloured-leaved  class,  we  have  the  White,  Red, 
Scarlet  and  Pin  Oak.  In  many  other  valuable  points,  the  Oak  has 
come  to  lie  recognised  as  desirable.  So  great,  indeed,  has  become  the 
demand  tor  this  class  of  ornamental  trees,  that  some  of  the  leading 
nurserymen  tell  us  the  demand  has  exhausted  the  supply.  It  goes  to 
show  that  the  people  of  to-day  can  be  educated  to  good  things,  when  the 
things  recommended  are  really  good. 
-  Public  Park,  Widnes.— The  first  prize  of  35  guineas  in  the 
public  competition  for  the  best  design  for  laying  out  the  Appleton  House 
estate  as  a  public  park  has  been  awarded  to  Messrs.  Barron  &  Son, 
Elvaston  Nurseries,  Borrowash.  The  area  of  the  park  is  about  36  acres, 
and  in  addition  to  the  general  plan  of  the  park,  which  contains  a  lake, 
cricket  and  recreation  grounds,  lawn  tennis  ground,  bowling-green,  and 
gymnasiums,  they  also  furnish  three  alternative  plans  for  dealing  with 
Appleton  House  and  premises,  also  designs  for  entrance  gates,  band 
stands,  shelters,  and  fountain. 
-  Winter  Spinach.— Two  or  three  sowings  of  Spinach  for 
winter  and  spring  use  require  to  be  sown  in  August  and  September. 
The  first  sowing  may  be  made  now,  the  second  at  the  end  of  the  month, 
and  another  before  the  middle  of  September.  Sow  in  drills  in  all  cases, 
as  it  is  necessary  to  clean  and  hoe  the  soil  frequently  in  order  to  promo.e 
growth.  Drills  should  not  be  less  than  a  foot  asunder,  the  first  two 
sowings  a  fwider  distance.  Grow  these  crops  onj  good  fertile,  but  not 
heavily  manured,  soil,  which  will  induce  a  rapid  succulent  growth  desirable 
in  summer,  but  not  advantageous  in  winter.  The  Prickly  Spinach  is 
usually  considered  the  best  for  present  sowing,  but  there  is  really  little 
difference  between  it  and  the  round-seeded  variety.  Both  might  be  sown 
and  the  results  noted  for  future  guidance.  Seed  should  be  sown  more 
aparingly  than  is  the  case  in  summer.  When  the  plants  are  crowded  they 
are  certain  to  succumb  to  frost  and  damp.  However,  if  the  seedlings 
come  up  too  thickly  they  may  be  thinned  gradually  as  they  approach  each 
other,  always  carrying  it  out  in  good  time.  Keep  the  soil  loose  on  the 
surface  between  the  plants,  and  rigidly  exclude  weeds. — E.  D.  S. 
-  Stock  Carter’s  Avalanche.  —  When  on  a  visit  to  Mr. 
Pettigrew,  The  Castle  Gardens,  Cardiff,  I  met  with  much  to  admire,  and 
in  particular  was  greatly  impressed  with  the  beauty  of  four  circular  beds, 
measuring  10  feet  across,  wholly  planted  with  Avalanche  Stock.  I  have 
never  seen  anything  of  the  kind  to  equal  that  display  of  white  Stocks,  ard 
quickly  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  it  was  one  of  the  good  things  I  had 
missed  hitherto.  The  seed  was  sown  in  gentle  heat  early  in  February, 
and  the  plants  duly  prepared  in  boxes  for  moving  into  the  beds  some 
time  in  May.  When  I  saw  them,  about  the  third  week  in  July,  they 
were  a  mass  of  bloom.  Large  numbers  had  been  cut,  boxes  were  filled 
with  spikes  while  I  was  there,  and  yet  no  serious  gap  appeared  anywhere. 
Mr.  Pettigrew  speaks  highly  of  it  for  pot  culture.  If  the  seed  is  sown 
early  in  the  autumn  the  plants  will  flower  in  an  ordinary  greenhouse 
during  March  and  April. — W.  Iggulden. 
-  Riviera  Flowers. — We  learn  from  a  contemporary  that  at 
San  Remo  the  flower  industry  continues  to  increase,  and  more  and  more 
Olives  are  cut  down  each  year  to  make  way  for  Carnations,  Roses,  and  to 
some  extent,  Vines,  especially  where  ground  is  available  within  reach  of 
the  high  road,  so  that  water  for  irrigation  can  be  obtained  from  the 
mains  of  the  water  company.  But  the  flower  cultivators  complained  that 
owiog  to  the  warm  summer  and  continued  fine  weather  of  1897,  many 
of  the  flowers  were  ready  in  advance  of.  the  market,  and  that,  therefore, 
the  prices  realised  were  too  low  to  be  thoroughly  remunerative.  At 
Bordighera  the  flower  trade  suffered  from  enormous  over-production, 
which  was  specially  marked  in  the  autumn  of  1897,  when  the  continuous 
warm  weather  brought  on  the  flowers  very  rapidly.  The  record  quantity 
of  flowers  sent  away  from  Bordighera  in  one  day  was  on  December  20th, 
1897,  when  1426  kilos,  were  despatched.  Prices  ruled  high  in  the  winter, 
owing  to  the  scarcity  of  Roses  caused  by  the  trees  being  exhausted  by 
the  excessive  flowering  in  the  autumn.  Carnations  continue  to  be 
planted  in  large  numbers. 
-  Hail  in  Chicago. — America  ha9  many  records,  and  now 
claims  the  heaviest  hail  storm.  The  “American  Florist,”  for  July  30th, 
says,  “  On  Thursday  evening  Chicago  was  visited  by  the  heaviest  hail 
storm  on  record.  The  icy  pellets  were  of  almost  incredible  size,  fully 
sufficient  to  perforate  greenhouse  roofs,  but  fortunately  the  storm 
extended  over  a  belt  only  a  couple  of  miles  wide  from  north  to  south. 
It  swept  the  west  side  of  the  city  and  a  part  of  the  north  side,  being 
most  severe  in  the  vicinity  of  We3t  Madison  Street,  where  Mr.  H. 
Schiller  lost  nine-tenths  of  his  glass.  His  greenhouses  in  the  country 
were  outside  the  storm  belt.  Mr.  H.  N.  Burns,  at  699,  West  Van  Buren 
Street,  was  a  heavy  loser.  Not  only  was  much  of  his  glass  broken,  but 
many  valuable  plants  were  beaten  down.  Messrs.  Nelson  Swain  &  Sons, 
Paulina  Street  and  Chicago  Avenue,  lost  most  of  their  glass.  Mr.  E. 
Wienhoeber  was  one  of  those  whose  houses  suffered  the  greatest  damage. 
He  has  14,000  feet  of  glass,  and  nearly  half  of  it  wa9  broken.  At 
Garfield  Park  the  hail  demolished  the  glass  in  the  conservatory.  Mr. 
H.  F.  Halle  was  another  heavy  loser,  and  Vaughan’s  greenhouses  at 
Western  Springs  lost  over  3000  panes  of  glass.” 
